In his small home town, Bill Hinkley was a terror to the whole area. He was reputed to be so thoroughly evil that he was shunned by all. He broke his poor mother's heart with his profligacy, and then he ran away to sea.
But -could he escape God's eye? No! On that ship was a Christian captain whose chief joy was in seeing that his men accepted the Savior. In mid-ocean God met Bill Hinkley and dealt with his soul. Bill repented of his wasted years and received the Lord Jesus. When he returned to his native town, it was soon noised about that he had been converted.
"Bill surely needed religion!" So said one.
"If anyone ever did, he needed it," remarked another. But did not these good people need it? Oh no! They went to church! They said their prayers! They gave money to the missionaries! They were as religious as possible.
Shortly after his return Bill was at a meeting. The catechist (one who teaches the catechism) asked him to read a portion of Scripture. He did so; and then, thinking it a good opportunity to testify as to what God had done for him, he told them how God had met him while away at sea, showed him what a great sinner he was, and brought him to accept Jesus as his Savior. "And now," he said, "I know I am saved. I have eternal life through His precious blood.”
After he sat down, the catechist said to Bill: "Young man, do I understand you to say you know you are saved and have eternal life?”
"Yes, sir.”
"Well, young man, I have been a catechist for twenty years, and I have not the presumption to say that.”
Well, sir," replied the young man, "all I can say is that I deserve it more than you do.”
"How can that be?" asked the catechist.
"Why, sir, you come to God now, bringing your twenty years' good service as a catechist, and tell Him you will trust His mercy for the rest of your soul's welfare. But you see, I came to God with twenty-five years of sin and profligacy. All I could do was to ask Him, through the value He set upon His Son's precious blood, shed for sinners like me, to be merciful and pardon me, a wicked, lost sinner; and He did. Oh, none but that spotless One could bear away my sins! I thank God for the grace that has been brought to me through Christ my Savior.”
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24).